It was the last day of my coaching work at uni and I felt a little emotional actually – which was unexpected.

For me, this course has been a crucial part of my weight loss journey. We all know how important confidence and self assurance is when it comes to making a change in your life – whatever that change may be. This course has helped me rediscover ‘me’ if that makes sense?

If I look back at this time last year, things were going well. My weight losses were fabulous, my exercise was building up at home on the treadmill, and I had finally taken my niece and nephew to the park…rather than hiding away from people. However, I wasn’t ‘me’.

For so many years I had been confident and self assured – even singing the theme tune to the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ in front of my fellow colleagues on my first Masters course! I never had self-esteem issues – although some would, I am sure, argue otherwise considering the fact that I reached 43st 5.5lbs! Yet this confidence I talk about felt buried. I had been convinced that I wasn’t worth anything. I doubted myself. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life…other than lose weight and help other people.

Part of getting myself on track was to get out there again. Initially, I was considering an online coaching course. Yet one of the countries top universities was accessible to me. I was concerned at what people might think of me. I was worried about being judged. My own coach provided a good challenge and asked me why I thought being on a course with people who are there to help others would be so bad…why would they want to judge me? If anything, I would be good coaching fodder for them I suppose.

So I rose to the challenge and paid for my course before I could back out of it!

I have coached in a corporate setting, and so didn’t necessarily need to do this course from a practical perspective. But it has given me more than anticipated…not least a route to my second Masters. I have really enjoyed meeting and connecting with my fellow coaches. I rediscovered my ‘mojo’ and friends and family have said that I started to come alive again towards the end of last year.

The first day saw me standing up in front of the group and explaining why I was there – the weight loss etc – and then I stood up and delivered another presentation…I hadn’t done that in years! It was after this that my Slimming World talks began, and the development of my formal ‘weight loss mindset’ coaching practice…which has meant that I have met and worked with some amazing people.

So I guess that this was why I was a bit emotional. This little group of people – all at different stages of life, with different skills and experiences – made me feel comfortable enough to just be me again. And that means the world to me…and to those who love me.

I owe them a massive ‘thank you’ and have offered to co-ordinate quarterly get-togethers so that we can keep in touch and network and share industry best practice…as we all want to do the best job possible for our coaching clients.

Anyway – that’s the emosh bit out of the way!

It was a great day. The final observed assessment of my coaching. I got the equivalent of a ‘first’ – so that’s a full set so far of practical and theory top marks I believe. But it all needs to go to the assessment panel to be checked out…and I will be given a ‘proper’ piece of paper at the end of September.

The assessment was good fun actually. I worked with a wonderful lady who coached me and visa versa, so that side of things was great as she was fabulous. I don’t mind things like this – as I am quite confident in my ability, and can usually stay fairly relaxed. It’s alway a bit strange to have someone sitting and watching you do your job though…a bit like when someone watches you on the PC…my fingers get muddled up and I mis-spell and stuff! But it went well. The word ‘excellent’ was used a couple of times in my feedback session. So it just reaffirmed that coaching is a good route for me – not only does it work, but I really bloody enjoy it, and am getting great feedback from the academic types and my clients alike.

A great end to a great course with great people…GREAT!

So that’s it from me. I am quite tired now…so much so that I have a programme on in the background about a cross-dressing cannibal…I can’t be bothered to get up and find the TV remote. Which, considering I haven’t been to the gym today, is quite lazily shocking!

Other than uni, I went and caught up with my sister, brother in law, and the kids. And Mr WLB dropped a glass of his milky, nutty, bananary smoothie all over our new rug. I got a text whilst I was at uni saying something along the lines of, ‘Don’t go mad, but I was doing weights in the lounge, felt shaky and dropped a smoothie on the rug and it won’t come out, sorry!’ I just laughed when I read it…the dog was doing that bum shuffle things that dogs do across the rug last night, so I was considering ditching it anyway!

On that note, I think I will finish up there. Apart from giving a shout-out to Kirsty from West Sussex and her friend…who are waiting to find out when I am doing this public speaking at a health event as they want to book train tickets to come and see me. I was so bloody humbled by this…someone wanting to travel from West Sussex to see me…amazing – there are some lovely people out there!

Finally, I am fighting the urge to eat a second full plate of my dinner. I have been hungry all day and am not sure why. So fingers crossed that I resist…but if not, I can just use that excuse that my fellow greedy losers use…’It’s all ‘free’ so it doesn’t matter!’

Breakfast: Banana, nectarine, and boiled eggs.

Lunch: Quorn ham, cheese, and salad rolls (2 x HEA and 2 x HEB).

Dinner: Rice, veggies, and Linda Mc sausages.

Snack: Nakd bars (13 syns).

A lovely food day…apart from the fact that I have been amazingly hungry! I was up quite early, so maybe this was why? Brekkie was my usual, followed by wholemeal rolls for my lunch at uni with Quorn ‘ham’, cheese, and salad rolls. Dinner was rice with Linda Mc sausages and roasted veggies. And my delicious Nakd bars for my evening snack…although I ate them earlier than usual.